I recently received the following email from what I thought was a interested customer. A few things within the email raised flags to me.
From: Gary Hartwell <gary.hartwell22@gmail.com>
Subject: Order Request
To: guards@viewithere.com
Date: Thursday, September 2, 2010, 8:24 PMHello Good Day
My Name is Gary Hartwell and I will like to know whether you carry ( Guards ) in stock for sale. If yes, email me back each size and with the prices of (1) attached to it so that i will let you know the size and quantity i will be ordering. I want to know if you do accept credit card as the method of payment.Best Regards
Gary Hartwell
One question I had with the email was “why is Guards in brackets?” Sometimes in spam they use brackets as a way of customizing a generic email. Also right away I had to wonder why I was not asked about wholesale pricing? I did answer him though – just in case it was legit.
Hi Gary,
We do have ring guards in stock. We offer pricing per 1 item or discounts on more then 1.
You can see all the prices at
http://viewithere.com/ring_guard/ringguard.htmlinfo on the sizing at
http://view-it-here.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-size-ring-guard-should-i-buy.htmlWe also do accept credit card sales. Thanks for the inquiry and have a great day.
Frances Howes
It’s easy to tell your friends to…
“View it Here”
Within 5 minutes He responded with the following
From: Gary Hartwell <gary.hartwell22@gmail.com>
Subject: Total Cost Needed
To: “View it Here.com (F. Howes)”
Date: Thursday, September 2, 2010, 8:53 PMHello Frances,
Thank you for your respond well am interested in the Ring Guards 1 Medium Yellow 14k-gf $5.25 and i will like to order 1200 pieces for this and i want to know the total cost of the 1200 pieces excluding freight. Thank youBest Regards
Gary Hartwell
By this time I knew it must be some sort of scam and searched around (I googled his name and email) and found an interesting link http://www.steam-brite.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1388 which not only had the exact form email but his name and email were right on the list! (mind you he is now on his 22nd gmail account). This would be a $6000+ order and at no time was wholesale pricing requested – if it seems to good to be true – it usually is!! I emailed him back to see how far it would go (and to try to get more info on this Gary Hartwell)
Hi Gary,
That order would be $6300. If interested we’ll send you an email request for payment to this email. Thanks againFrances Howes
It’s easy to tell your friends to…
“View it Here”
Based on the scam, I knew what would follow – a request for using their shipper ( by the way cooltoad.com is not a shipping company site – it’s a domain adsense page – So now google is not only providing the scammer with emails it also is paying them per click on ads from their fake domain!!).
From: Gary Hartwell <gary.hartwell22@gmail.com>
Subject: Contact Shipping For QuoteTo: “View it Here.com (F. Howes)”Date: Saturday, September 4, 2010, 2:46 AM
Hello Frances,
I will like to order the Units ( 1200 Units Ring Guards 1 Medium Yellow 14k-gf $6300 ) .. And i will recommend a freight company for the pick up of the Units to to my Company in ( Sweden ) . Now i want to you to contact them with the total weight of the Units and find out the freight quote to Sweden for me . The delivery address is below :
Gary Hartwell S.O.S Home
# Ridmansgatan 42
Stockholm, SWEDEN 114 99Freight company email address : continental_cfreight@cooltoad.com
And including the pick-up location and they will surely get you a freight quote . As soon as you her from them let me know so that i can proceed with transaction
Best Regards
Gary Hartwell(owner)
Well, well! What would he do if I offered free shipping? Which I would on such a large order! (plus I had already searched the freight companies domain name) Also the address seems to be for many different people & companies which I found at this link http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-404-397-1969/10
Hi Gary,
Your order comes with free shipping so no quote is needed. Your total order is $6300.
Frances Howes
It’s easy to tell your friends to…
“View it Here”
What customer would refuse free shipping on their order? WHO? WHERE? …no one that’s who!
From: Gary Hartwell <gary.hartwell22@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Contact Shipping For Quote
To: “View it Here.com (F. Howes)”
Date: Tuesday, September 7, 2010, 5:02 PMWell i want use my freight company for the shipment. Advice asap
HUH….he is not happy with our free shipping? why the heck not? I emailed him back to explain why it is such a good thing.
Gary,
We use our own shipping company so all our order destinations can be tracked and logged. I’m sure this will be no issue, it’s our way to protect such a large order from false credit card purchases. Also when/If this occurs our shipper can work directly with police providing the drop off address to provide police with the necessary info.
I’m sure this will benefit your company as it protects you against fraudulent orders made with your credit card.
Alternatively you may send us a certified check or money order for the amount and your shipping/freight company can be used. Thanks again
Frances Howes
It’s easy to tell your friends to…
“View it Here”
FUNNY! I never heard back! If you happen to run an internet business and are excited because you thought you got a huge sale – take a deep breath and research your buyer! Get a phone number, talk to them directly, research the info provided! It’s easy to “google” someone (everyone does it). Always remember if it seems too good to be true….it usually is!
I hope this post helps in educating online businesses on this particular order scam – I’d hate to hear of someone falling for it and then finding out they are out of pocket – not only for the merchandise shipped but also for the shipping quote!!
Gary just bothered me too at my website, http://www.gongs-unlimited.com
Hi Andrew – he’s still at it that’s for sure. Under many names so watch out. Nice site by the way – I hope you do well
Thank you so much for posting this.
The same email address requested our current inventory, then placed an order completely contradicting what we have in stock. When he requested a total not including freight, the red flag went up. As we at times get large bulk orders, whenever freight is mentioned I know it is a scam. I googled his email address and found your article.
I sent him a price quote with the URL to this article. Hopefully, he will find a real job.
Thank you so much for posting this!
The same email account sent us a request for current stock and then a follow up email ordering an item that completely contradicted the inventory report. Once he mentioned pricing without FREIGHT, I knew where this was heading. I googled his name and came across your article. Many Thanks for saving my time.
I forwarded him a Price Quote, along with the URL to this article. Hopefully, this person will find a real job and stop scamming companies.
Hi Irene,
Glad you didn’t get caught up with these guys! They never expect people to share info and unfortunately most don’t which is why their scam has been going on for years!
Ierene,
yahoo!! smart and savvy business people. he used the name “Larry Jackson” with our company trying to purchase 20 swimming pool pumps and shipping them via westarco cargo freight company shipping out of South Africa. Totally fraudulent.
you can smell these guys a 100 picas points away….
THanks for posting this…just avoided being scammed…also replied telling ‘Francis’ what I thought of him..shouldn’t repeat it here!
Thanks again
They found us too!!
Hello ,
Thank you for the reply , Well i am okay with the total price of the Stamps and i want the Opition 2 well I will like you to contact Westarco Cargo freight Via their email [ westarcocargofreight@live.com or westarcocargofreight@rocketmail.com ] with your store location,the total weight on the and Stamps .the delivery address below and request for a freight quote. Please let me know how much it will cost me in totality to have these Stamps to the address below
The delivery address is as Follows :
Rev Jon S.O.S Home
#Ridmansgatan 42. City, Stockholm.
Country, Sweden.Postal/Zip Code, 114 99.
And as soon as you get the freight quote email me back with the grand total.Hope to hear from you soon.
Best regards
Robert Bunn
Now it looks like the scammers are going by Reverend now!
He is going by Larry Moore with me. I have been actually talking with him on the phone. I run an organic beauty company and thought it was a bit fishy to want to send 457 jars of cleansing cream to an orphanage in Sweden. He has tried to use two different credit cards which I have not accepted, his phone numbers are invalid, his email leads to no one, and at the “orphanage” address there seems to be a TV station.
It is hard to earn a living these days running your own business, without jerks like this trying to cheat us out of our hard earned money.
Glad you did not get sucked into it Randi! I agree It is hard to earn a living these days running your own business, without jerks like this trying to cheat us out of our hard earned money.
He just hit me up too .. now his name is John Hands. Thanks so much for posting this. I just saved myself a real hassle.
Glad to hear He is having such a hard time finding new victims!
He is going by Fred Bates with me. I am running an online store selling Diaper Cakes and thought it to be a bit fishy when he wanted to order 30 (Diaper Cakes) and have them sent to Sweden. He also contacted me by telephone wanting to give me the credit card information over the phone for payment. Here is the emails he sent to me please beware of the scam.
Dear Customer,
My name is Fred Bates and this order is an individual order. and i
like to make a purchase of a (Diaper Cakes) and i will be more happy
if you can email me with the types and Prices that you have for sale
as well….Please let me know if you do accept credit card as a form
of payment, and that will be pick up at your location..Hope to read
back from you soon..
Kind Regards,
Fred Bates.hanks to see your mail again , and i have check through your website and i will go for the item below :
Princess Castle Diaper Cake
Princess Castle Diaper Cake
Click to enlarge image(s)
This charming Princess Castle Diaper Cake makes a perfect gift for a new baby girl! What a perfect way to welcome a tiny new princess than her very own little castle? This elegant and practical diaper cake makes a stunning centerpiece for a Little Princess baby shower theme.
Included in this 4 tier Princess Diaper Cake:
Approximately 50 Nature BabyCare Eco Friendly Diapers (Size 1)
Natursutten Natural Rubber Pacifier Size 0-6 months
Under the Nile Organic Monkey.
SKU: DC051
and i need 30 pcs and so advise me if you accept credit cards as well so that we can proceed .
Waiting to hear from you soon .Thank you for the reply , Well i am okay with the total price Of Diaper Cakes ,well I will like you to contact Westarco Cargo Freight Via their email [ westarcocargofreight@rocketmail.com or westarcocargofreight@live.com ] with your store location,the total weight on the Diaper Cakes with the delivery address below and request for a freight quote. Please let me know how much it will cost me in totality to have these Diaper Cakes to the address below .
The delivery address is as Follows :
Bishop Jon S.O.S HOME
Medborgarplatsen 25 plan 5
Stockholm 11892
SWEDEN
And as soon as you get the freight quote email me back with the grand total.Hope to hear from you soon.
NB: I have Calculated and am okay with the price and so let me know the shipping cost as well so that we can proceed from there ASAP.
Best regards,
Fred Bates
90 river st
Montipilier Vt 05602
thax for the updated info! There seems to be a ring of scammers using the same story
He is now going by Jim Bates, aka Jim Beat or John Bates. Thank you Laura for posting the address, that is how I found this site after doing a failed search on the shipping company.
Thank you for the reply , Well i am okay with the total price Of Items ,well I will like you to contact Westarco Cargo Freight Via their email [ westarcocargofreight@rocketmail.com or westarcocargofreight@live.com ] with your store location,the total weight on the Items with the delivery address below and request for a freight quote. Please let me know how much it will cost me in totality to have these Items to the address below .
The delivery address is as Follows :
Bishop Jon S.O.S HOME
Medborgarplatsen 25 plan 5
Stockholm 11892
SWEDEN
And as soon as you get the freight quote email me back with the grand total.Hope to hear from you soon.
Best regards,
Jim Bates
Total scammer
Here he is again leaving this message going by the name Ray Howland
Thank you for the reply , Well i am okay with the total price Of Items ,well I will like you to contact Speedway Cargo Shipping Via their email [ speedwaycargoshiping@gmail.com with your store location,the total weight on the Items with the delivery address below and request for a freight quote. Please let me know how much it will cost me in totality to have these Items to the address below .
The delivery address is as Follows :
Bishop Jon S.O.S HOME
Post bus 9823
Amsterdam
Netherlands
And as soon as you get the freight quote email me back with the grand total.Hope to hear from you soon.
Best regards,
Ray Howland